A guided visit of Catania, the town lying at the foot of Etna volcano.

Catania Lava Tour

Description

The 1669 eruption of the Etna was one of the most powerful and disastrous of the history. Having come out from a secondary crater opened at about 700 meters of altitude, the lava reached Catania, and a big part of the city was completely covered by an incandescent flow. We can still see, today, that lava (become hard black stone by now) in many parts of the modern city, overall in the western area, close to the sea.We’ll visit some important monuments, and some less important but not less interesting sites, following the path of that “red river”, and discovering how a such important natural element can change the morphology of a city.

Program

The visit starts in Piazza Duomo, where the lava stone represents one of the main material of the reconstruction after the earthquake. We’ll discover all the secrets about that magnificent Cathedral, also called “ecclesia munita”, the church-fortress. We’ll enter inside to admire the melting-pot of styles that characterize this incredible building. We’ll walk through Catania historical center, across the areas touched by the 1669 lava flow. I’ll show you the power of the lava, and how it can influence the way to build a city or a monument. I’ll lead you in a special site, underground, to watch a river flowing in a lava cave. We’ll enter in stunning churches, full of history and legends. We’ll stand in front of a big medieval fortress, Ursino Castle, completely build by lava stone, and you’ll learn about Sicily history and traditions. We’ll finish our visit in one of the older part of the city, a hill where everything started, the Monte Vergine hill. There, the Benedictines built their own huge Monastery. You’ll understand how small and powerless the human beings can be against mother nature majesty, but also how a population can recover again and again after the disaster.

What is included

Authorized tour guide, insurance

what is not included

Any entrance fees to monuments or places of interest (to be paid on site)

All our guided tours are in exclusive: a professional guide will be only with you and nobody else will be able to book the same tour in the same day.

duration

3 h

Meeting Point

Piazza Duomo

availability

All the year

Price

Up to 2-3 People: 200€
Up to 4-5 People: 240€
Up to 6-8 People: 300€

Meeting Point